1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to packaging systems and, in particular, to a vacuum packaging system for forming a seal on a vacuum device.
2. Description of Related Art
Some vacuum devices, such as flat panel displays, are packaged by a vacuum packaging system to create a vacuum within such devices. Referring to FIG. 2, according to the prior art, a typical vacuum packaging system 300 is shown. The typical vacuum packaging system 300 includes a vacuum room 30, a first accommodating room 31 and a second accommodating room 32 disposed at opposite sides of the vacuum room 30, a delivery device 35, and a condensing-light sealing device 36 connected to the vacuum room 30. The first accommodating room 31 and the second accommodating room 32 communicate with the vacuum room 30 via a first hatch 33 and a second hatch 34. The delivery device 35 can carry workpieces to be packaged between the first and second accommodating rooms 31, 32. The condensing-light sealing device 36 is located outside the vacuum room 30 and emits a laser to package the workpieces.
A typical packaging method utilizing the above vacuum packaging system 300 includes the following steps. A pre-packaged container 37, that has an exhaust through hole 371 defined thereon, is prepared in the first accommodating room 31. An exhaust pipe 372 is provided. One end of the exhaust pipe 372 is inserted into and fixed in the exhaust through hole 371 via low-melting glass powder (not labeled), and another end of the exhaust pipe 372 is exposed outside the pre-packaged container 37. The condensing-light sealing device 36 heats and softens the exhaust pipe 372 so as to seal the open end thereof. The pre-packaged container 37 and the exhaust pipe 372 fixed on the pre-packaged container 37 are transported into the vacuum room 30 via the delivery device 35. The vacuum room 30 is connected to a vacuum pump 38 that is used to create a vacuum. The outer end of the exhaust pipe 372 is then sealed utilizing the condensing-light sealing device 36. The packaged container (not labeled) is cooled in the second accommodated room 32 to obtain a packaged container under vacuum.
However, the exhaust pipe 372 needs to be disposed in the through hole 371 of the pre-packaged container 37 in the above method. In addition, the exhaust pipe 372 is retained outside of the packaged container, which is disadvantageous with respect to safety and reliability. Furthermore, to expediently seal the end of the exhaust pipe 372, the exhaust pipe 372 should have a small diameter, for example, less than 5 mm, which results in more time to remove air from the pre-packaged container 37. Therefore, the structure of the packaged container becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost is increased.
What is needed, therefore, is a vacuum packaging system, which can overcome the above-described shortcomings.